It's Fun to Run!!!

It’s fun to run!!!

The brief intro that I am about to give is primarily to give confidence to each one who is reading this article that, “ANYONE CAN RUN!”

I am a long distance runner…& my biggest compliment “42Kms!!! Are you crazy?” and the best running comment received while doing a trail run by a villager “Kashala Dhawtoys, pahila alela ghari gela.” (Why are u running? The guy who came first has gone home!)

As I write this blog I have completed 2 Ultra Marathons, 2 Full Marathons, 23 half marathon runs, 21 - 10 km runs. Completed 1500 kms of running in the calendar year 2013 and 2015. Have been an official pacer at 6 events and unofficially paced several friends to achieve their running objectives.

I am a certified long distance running coach from American College of Sports Medicine and Exercise Science Academy. I currently coach people to take up running to remain fit. RunBurn is my attempt to spread awareness about running with two other friends - Dhananjay & Vishu

Wait, This is not about me and what I have done. It might help to all of you if I tell you that before I started running in 2012, I was a couch potato and the only sport that I ever played was gully cricket (like every Indian kid does). So the journey from being a couch sitter to a long distance runner has not been easy but I have loved every moment of it. I primarily started running because I was putting on weight and I hated going to the gym and no amount of dieting seemed to help. I reduced about 9 kgs in 6 months just by walking/running initially. Slowly I started gaining interest and 20 mins walk became 30 min to 45 min to calculating distance to reducing time for the same distance.

If you wish to start running here are some things that you should do. But before I start let me tell all of you that I am not an expert but i put forward all suggestions on the basis of  my personal experience, some knowledge gained by being a part of various runner forums and reading a lot about running.

If you want to get in shape or just remain fit and if you are not regularly exercising and want to start running, your first step – literally – should be walking! Walking and running are two of the least expensive and most convenient ways to get fit, lose weight, reduce stress and improve your quality of life. Before you tie those shoe laces and take your first step towards running/walking remember these important things:

1. Visit Your Doctor: If you are over 40 or have a family history of heart disease or other health problems see a doctor before you start your running/walking routine.
2. First Step - Walk: Some people dismiss “walk” as a four letter word, it is the most effective way to develop the fitness you need to start running comfortably without getting injured (Yes! Running, like any other sport, may have its own injury problems, which can be taken care of by being careful about some important things – will elaborate later in this article) Walking puts your legs and arms through the same general range of motion as running but without the same impact on your bones and joints. The walk should be brisk – neither a race walk nor a window shopping walk either.
3. There is a lot of merit in slow progress (YES): Starting to exercise doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Begin with a 15 minute walk. Feeling good? The next day, do it again. If you are feeling strong, add 5-10 mins by the end of the week.
4. Track your progress: Write down details about how long and how far you went on each workout and how you felt while you were on the road. You will draw a lot of confidence from this at the end of a month into your workout schedule. If you think writing is tough, maintain an excel file. If that’s also tough and if you use a smart phone download any run/walk tracking application and then you just have to keep the application on while on the road, the application will keep all records for you! I use one such application - Runtastic. There are many watches like Garmin and Tomtom which can help you to track distance and time. I am not a great fan of using technology while running, so I would leave the choice to you.
5. Get a good gear: Resist the temptation of wearing any old pair of shoes for your workout. Worn-out or ill-fitting shoes are one of the most common cause of injury. For clothing – wear anything light weight and not made of cotton. Cotton will soak sweat and keep becoming heavier. Try wearing clothes made of DRI-fit material (this is not expensive).
6. Block Your Time: Establish a workout routine. Figure out a time of day which is non-negotiable. For most people it is the first thing in the morning. Also ensure that you fix a time/route which is not too busy in terms of traffic. Take a few minutes off your lunch break and take a walk around the office, take stairs to office/home.
7. Eat More (Often) To Lose Weight: One very important thing while you start running/walking is that you still need to keep a check on what you eat. You may tend to eat everything that you see, since at the back of your mind you know you are running/walking. However, if you are running/walking to lose weight keep a check on what you eat. Keep a track by maintaining a diary. Again, if it is difficult to maintain a diary and if you are a smart phone user download an app to keep a track of how many calories you are consuming.
8. A support system always helps: Get a buddy for your walks/runs. You can join any of the running groups in your city – there are many these days (no fees to register). It can be online as well. There are numerous online running forums (no fees to register). Kalyan Dombivli Runners, Mumbai Road Runners are two such groups that I am a part of. 
9. Sneak in small activities: Get a plan. While you may not feel the need to have a schedule for workout, having a training plan will always help. This will keep you on track for your goal. I follow a 18 week training plan every year before the all-important Standard Chartered Mumbai marathon which is the biggest running event that happens in India.
10. Most important: DON’T PUT OFF THE ALARM & GO TO SLEEP!!!

This article is really for the beginners and if you are already doing some amount of walking/running and want to graduate to long distance running, progress slowly in to longer distances.. It is of great help.

Remember one very important thing don’t do too much too soon - you will be prone to injuries. Pre and post run stretches are a must! Check out Youtube for pre run warm ups and post run stretches you will get umpteen numbers of videos guiding you on the correct technique.

I will be happy to help anyone of you on taking your first step. Feel free to write to me.

Happy Running!!!

PS - These are my pics - First one clicked in 2011 and the second one - recently clicked at a Photo shoot. 
Pic Courtesy - Kedar Phadke